In Your Shadow
by Blu Wolf 23
Summary: Life is about as normal as it can get for our Sub-Zero Heroes, but when an ancient primordial force begins stirring up the most dangerous and mythic creatures known to the animal kingdom a lone hero must rise up and show the world that one small bit of courage can lead to a great destiny. Success will come with a heavy cost, but failure could mean a second great extinction.
1. Prologue

Part 1

Adventurer

Prologue

Louis limped through the blizzard, the icy wind piercing his coat like the tooth of a saber. He couldn't stop his shivering, it was _**so **_cold. The snow was up to his knees; the wind was howling and flinging specks of ice and snow into his face and eyes. He couldn't believe how bad things were going. He had come all this way only to be told there was no use. He was too late, after all of the trials he had overcome, it had all been for not.

He personally couldn't believe it, not that he had failed but that he had actually made it this far. No one said he could do it; even his own family had called his quest a suicide mission. None of that mattered now, Peaches was a goner. The herd was doomed. He had failed, just like they said he would.

The Molehog collapsed into the snow, feeling his strength leaving him. His sword slipped out of his hands, his shield slid off of his arm. What was the point now, he had given all he had and now there was no fight left in him. What was even worse was that he had never told Peaches how he really felt about her. He suddenly felt a rush of warmth go through his body, his eye lids felt heavy and ever so slowly he allowed them to close.

...

_**A few weeks earlier**_

Peaches and Louis strode through the forest, enjoying the immense beauty that their new home had. Birds that neither of them had seen before sat on every branch, and around every corner was a new discovery.

"Wow, this place is beautiful." the young mammoth said with a sigh.

"Eh well it's just a forest without you." The Molehog replied.

"Aww Louis that is one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me. Thank you!" She said ruffling his spikes.

"It was no big deal." He replied sheepishly.

The mammoth couldn't help but laugh at her friend's shyness.

"So what's on the agenda today?" He asked after nervously scratching the back of his head.

"We're supposed to meet Ethan and the others at a pond that's not too far from here." She replied.

"Oh cool." He murmured.

The duo walked in silence for a minute or so.

"So whatcha wanna talk about?" He asked.

"Hmmm, I don't know. I can't really think of anything." She replied.

"Alright...do you know whose question it was?" He asked.

"Um...mine...I think." She said after using her trunk to tap her forehead.

"Haha so much for _mammoths never forget_." The Molehog said with a chuckle.

"Oh shush." She grumbled, playfully shoving him with her trunk.

"Well since you can't remember, I'll go first." He told her.

"Alright, sounds good to me." She replied.

"Ok...um...what was your first impression of me?" He asked.

"Oh man that was three years ago, it's all so fuzzy, but I do remember you showing up at school. You were the only one I didn't recognize, you were pretty quiet too." She recalled.

"Haha yeah...it was that easy for you to tell that I was new?" He grumbled.

"Well yeah, it was a small community and it still is. Everybody knows everybody." She reminded him.

"True." He replied sheepishly.

"Ok my turn." She said looking down at the ground.

Then her eyes widened and she spoke:

"What do you think my chances are with Ethan?"

The Molehog shifted uncomfortably, he didn't like answering these questions but as a good friend should do, he answered anyway.

"I think that they're...pretty good." He replied.

"Really, after everything that's happened. You think there's still a chance?" She asked.

"It shouldn't matter what I think. Follow your heart, and as long as you're happy...then that's all that matters." He replied.

The Mammoth didn't seem to notice the ounce of pain in her friend's words.

"You're a really good friend, you know that?" She asked.

"Yup...that's me..." He replied bitterly.

The Mammoth gave her friend a quizzical look.

"That was a compliment...but ok." She murmured.

They walked in silence for a brief moment.

"So my turn?" He asked sheepishly.

"Yup." She replied flatly.

"Ok...if you do manage to hook up with Ethan, not that I'm saying that it's unlikely, what's going to happen to us? I mean, you of all people know how much I _hate _being a third wheel." He grumbled.

"Louis, we've known each other for years now and I promise you that no matter what happens, you'll always be my best friend." She assured him.

He just grinned.

"Good to know."

The duo continued on their trek through the forest.

...

Deep in the heart of the forest was a series great underground caves. From these caves runoff water from the melting snow on the mountains in the far north would be diverted into two different channels. One led into the river that ran southeast, eventually reaching the ocean.

The other led deeper into the caves, emptying in a giant crystal cavern that was directly beneath the oldest tree in the forest. This was where the three mystics gathered every 23 days for a few hours. During the summer and winter solstices, as well as the two equinoxes they would remain in the cavern for the entire day.

There were also other occasions which called for them to gather. Such as crisis situations.

The first mystic was Iolana the Empress of Air. She was a Military Macaw, light green feathers covered her body and most of her wings. Her wingtips and her lower back were colored sky blue, the underside of her wings and tail were a golden yellow. The feathers on her forehead were red like coral.

She had a bone armor plate on her chest, and strapped to that were a pair of swords made from the talons of falcon she had killed in battle years ago. A necklace of woven vine and flowers hung from her neck. In the center of that necklace was a circle with a hole in the middle two slightly curled fins sticking out of the top and bottom of the circle. Both fins were pointed away from each other.

The second mystic was in the large pool of water. The pool had a passage at its bottom that led to the sea. His name is Makaio The King of the Abyss. He was a Manta Ray. His mighty wings and booming voice makes him the most intimidating mystic of all. However, he is often the voice of reason amongst the mystics. He prefers diplomacy over violence. Unlike his fellow mystic Iolana. Because of this, he has no armor and no weapons. Instead a mighty cape of kelp is attached to his back. On this cape, his fellow sea creatures dyed parts of the kelp with soot from the bases of underwater volcanoes. The shape they created was a mighty trident. Just because Makaio didn't like to fight doesn't mean he won't. Although, violence would only be used as a last result.

The final mystic was over 100 years old and had seen much change in the world since he began his life. His name was Ekewaka Wiseman from the Edge of the World. He was a Galápagos tortoise. You could see the entirety of the cosmos in his eyes. His shell was covered in symbols and pictures. Prophecies, legends, stories. Hundreds of years of knowledge recorded and ready for immediate access. Legend has it that he came from the primordial ooze of a forming island and swam to the nearest continent. He then traveled the world and learned all there is to know about the world. Swimming from continent to continent, and the older he gets, the bigger his shell gets. Therefore, he is always learning and always teaching. He doesn't say much now a days, simply agreeing with a nod or disagreeing with a grunt. His fellow mystics have heard him speak only a handful of times. When he does speak, his word is greatly valued and never questioned.

"I apologize for calling you both here on such short notice, but I bring grave news." Makaio told his fellow mystics.

"Please do try to be brief, my war with the serpents will not stop because I am away from home." Iolana grumbled.

Ekewaka gave the Empress a sideways glance.

"A few days ago, great quakes began ravaging the planet. Continents have now broken up. The face of our world has changed dramatically." The Manta Ray told his friends.

"Yes, this happens every now and then. Why does this particular occurrence call for an emergency council." Iolana asked.

"After the quakes, I flew into the Adriatic Trench, to check on Kath." He explained.

"The Tectonic Titan himself. Tell me brother has his prison been compromised?" The Air Mystic inquired.

"No, but I would imagine that those who worship him and his ways are already plotting to free him. Should he be freed, the planet will suffer a great catastrophe. Similar to the one that occurred long before our time. Except this time, even the combined forces of the sea and sky may not be able to stop him." The Manta Ray said somberly.

Ekewaka gave a determined but pleading look to his fellow mystics.

"Old friend, you of all people should know that you are in no condition to fight our fallen brother. Should he rise, you must remain hidden. After all, you represent the life giving power of the planet. If we fail, we must be able to count on you to restore balance to a destroyed world." Iolana told the tortoise, gently putting her wing on his cheek.

"Let us hope it does not come to that." Makaio murmured.

...

Louis and Peaches were waiting by the pond that Ethan had told them to meet him and The Brat Pack at. Louis was starting to get irritated, Ethan and his friends had habit of being late.

"How hard is it to get here on time, they live closer to this pond then we do!" The Molehog grumbled, feeling his quills beginning to stand on end.

"I have a feeling he's late for a good reason." Peaches assured her friend.

"Oh yeah, I'm bet he spent 30 minutes pampering his hair instead of 20." He scoffed.

"You seem a little irritable today...are you and your dad fighting again?" She asked.

"No it's not that." He told her, realizing that he did sound a little grumpy.

"Then what is it?"

The Molehog began to shift around uncomfortably.

"Peaches...I..."

"Hey guys!" a voice called out from behind them.

The duo turned to see Ethan, Steffie, Katie and Meghan approaching.

Louis gave a friendly wave to the mammoths while Peaches excitedly bounded over to them.

"Hi Ethan." She said bashfully.

"Hey Peaches, what's up?" He replied smoothly.

"Oh not much, just exploring our new home with Louis." She replied.

"Cool." He said with a nod.

They walked for a bit in silence, Louis began to say something but was interrupted by Katie.

"So how's your family gurl?"

"Great, Diego and Shira are officially together now. We've already started guessing when they'll have cubs." Peaches said with a chuckle.

"Neato!" Meghan exclaimed.

The mammoths continued to chat, all the while Louis trailed behind the group. Listening in on the conversation. He had gotten the royal treatment from The Brat Pack after he stood up to that pirate. However, this lasted a little over a week. They still were fairly nice to him most of the time, but occasionally he would be the butt of their jokes.

Ethan and Peaches had really hit it off ever since they arrived at their new home. Although he resented Ethan to some degree, Louis was (for some odd reason) happy for his friend. She had found someone who was able to accept her for who she was. Although their relationship was not official (yet) and got a little rocky at times, they still greatly enjoyed each others company.

So why wasn't he able to let go of his feelings for Peaches and move on. To admit that no matter what he did, she would never see him as anything more than a friend. He had two logical explanations.

1.) He loved her, and even if she and Ethan became mates, and he found someone else he would always have some kind of feelings for her.

2.) He was stupider then Crash and Eddie.

After some mental deliberation, he decided that the second explanation was far more likely. After all, he didn't even have a definitive way to describe love...right?

...

Sometime later, Peaches arrived at her home where her family was awaiting her return.

"Hey, there's our favorite niece!" Sid told his fellow uncles, Crash and Eddie.

"Sis, your daughter is home!" Eddie shouted.

"I don't believe it, you're not only on time...you're home early!" Manny said with a chuckle.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my friend's daughter?" Diego asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Very funny guys. You know I could always come home later if that's what you want me to do." Peaches teased.

" I don't think that will be necessary sweet heart. Your father has enough panic attacks as it is." Ellie told the young mammoth.

"I thought there was something stalking us when we were out getting lunch. I know when I'm being watched." Manny protested.

"Yeah, being watched by a tiny squirrel." Crash said with a laugh.

"He could have been rabid!" Manny grumbled.

"Could of been, but he wasn't." Diego replied.

"Where's Shira?" Peaches asked her saber toothed uncle.

"She's just napping." He replied.

"Well it dinner time, and she's gonna wake up in the middle of the night composing that she's hungry." Ellie complained.

"Why are you grumbling, I'm the one who has to go down to the river and catch her dinner." Diego chided.

"He's got you there." Manny told his mate.

"Well when she does wake up, don't complain so loud. It wakes up everyone else." Ellie told the saber.

"Yes ma'am." He replied.

"Peaches, head down to the river and wash your trunk for dinner." Manny instructed.

The adolescent mammoth nodded and went off to do as instructed.

...

Louis arrived at his burrow, with a quick shake he managed to get most of the dirt off of his fur. It had been a long but fun day, he was ready for some grub and a goodnight's sleep.

"Louis is home mom!" a voice called out from deeper in the burrow.

Three tiny molehogs rushed Louis, the first two jumped on him and gave him a big hug while the other stood idled by.

"Hey fellas, how was your day?" He asked his brothers.

"Great, we caught some nice juicy worms for dinner!" One replied.

"Mom is bit cranky." The other said while rolling his eyes.

"Yeah Noah, you do tend to do that to people." Louis grumbled.

"Whatever." He replied , walking away.

"What about you Chase, how was your day?" Louis asked the littlest of his brothers.

In response, the little one just gave a big toothless smile and cooed.

"Hey hey, Louis!" His other brother exclaimed.

"What is it Nate?" He asked patiently.

"Can we go stargazing tonight?"

Louis contemplated this before shaking his head.

"No, not tonight buddy. I'm going to practice on my guitar tonight. Tomorrow for sure." He told his brother.

"Promise?" The little one asked with a raised eye brow.

"Yes, I promise." He replied before picking up Chase putting him on his shoulders and walking deeper into the burrow.

He found his mom in the family room, dicing up a large work with a wooden knife.

"Hey bud." She said kindly.

"Hey Mom, Dad home yet?" He asked.

"No, not yet." She replied.

" Ok, could you have Noah or Nate bring up my dinner to my spot. I'm going to be practicing my guitar skills tonight." He asked.

His Mother gave him a sideways look.

"Are you sure you don't want to eat with the family, we barely see you anymore."

"I'll come down and hang out with you guys after I'm done practicing." He assured her.

She signed in defeat.

"Alright, but do make sure you come down. You know how your father gets when you isolate yourself from the family."

He nodded and made his way out of the burrow, grabbing his guitar on the way out.

He made his way up the hill that made up the roof of his burrow. This hill had an amazing view of the ocean and the night sky.

He stared at the ocean for some time, contemplating various questions that popped into his mind. He was always thinking, coming up with various life scenarios and asking himself how he would deal with them.

He eventually picked up his guitar and got ready to play, when he heard his parents having a conversation. He decided to listen in.

"Where's Louis?" His father asked.

"On his little hill, playing his guitar." His mother replied.

"I don't hear him."His father grumbled.

"Well your hearing probably isn't what it used to be, after mining for all these years." His mother reasoned.

"I know the answers to why our old home was destroyed lies somewhere in the earth. I need closure, I need to know why this happened and what we can do to prevent it from happening again." He told his mate.

"Honey, there are some things in this world that can't be explained or understood. The sooner you accept that, the less grey hairs you'll give yourself." She told him sincerely.

"I just wish I understood why we had to leave everything we knew behind. I wish I understood why my son doesn't eat with us anymore, or says 'Hey Dad, let's go out on a walk ' or somthin. He goes up there and gets sucked into his own little world, playing that blasted guitar. He has no friends besides that mammoth. What happens when she and that Ethan fella mate and have kids. She'll have no time for him. Then he'll just be up on that hill all day, letting life pass him by." He said with a sigh.

Louis had heard enough, he picked up his guitar and began to play.

_I am a question to the world,_

_Not an answer to be heard._

_All a moment that's held in your arms._

_And what do you think you'd ever say?_

_I won't listen anyway…_

_You don't know me,_

_And I'll never be what you want me to be._

Why had his relationship with his father crashed and burned? Why was it that they were now polar opposites? His father was always trying to change him. Telling him it was for his own good. Why couldn't his dad appreciate him for who he was?

_And what do you think you'd understand?_

_I'm a boy, no, I'm a man.._

_You can take me and throw me away._

_And how can you learn what's never shown?_

_Yeah, you stand here on your own._

_They don't know me 'cause I'm not here._

He wasn't a bad kid. He was home long before curfew. He listened to his parents. He did his best to get along with his brothers. What was it about him that his father didn't understand or like?

_And I want a moment to be real,_

_Wanna touch things I don't feel,_

_Wanna hold on and feel I belong._

_And how can the world want me to change,_

_They're the ones that stay the same._

_They don't know me,_

_'Cause I'm not here._

It was true, Peaches was his only real friend. That wasn't his fault though! Ethan, Katie, Crash and Eddie. They all treated him like he was a weirdo. A freak. Just because he was shy doesn't mean he didn't want to make friends!

_And you see the things they never see_

_All you wanted, I could be_

_Now you know me, and I'm not afraid_

_And I wanna tell you who I am_

_Can you help me be a man?_

_They can't break me_

_As long as I know who I am_

Peaches understood that. She knew who he really was. She knew him better than his own family knew him. She knew his fears and his dreams and vice versa. They talked for hours on end about various topics. She didn't have that connection with Ethan! What did he have that made him so special. Besides the fact that he was a mammoth.

_And I want a moment to be real,_

_Wanna touch things I don't feel,_

_Wanna hold on and feel I belong._

_And how can the world want me to change,_

_They're the ones that stay the same._

_They can't see me,_

_But I'm still here._

_They can't tell me who to be,_

'_Cause I'm not what they see._

_And the world is still sleepin',_

_While I keep on dreamin' for me._

_And their words are just whispers_

_And lies that I'll never believe._

No matter how much his father prodded him, he wouldn't become something he wasn't. He didn't want to be a miner like his father, digging around in the dirt looking at bones and ancient rock formations. Trying to predict the next big continental drift. He hoped that he was put on this earth to be something more than just a timid Molehog.

_And I want a moment to be real,_

_Wanna touch things I don't feel,_

_Wanna hold on and feel I belong._

_And how can they say I never change_

_They're the ones that stay the same._

_I'm the one now,_

'_Cause I'm still here._

His voice dropped down to a whisper.

_I'm the one,_

'_Cause I'm still here._

_I'm still here._

_I'm still here._

_I'm still here._

He wished that he could find his purpose in life...if he even had one.

_**A.N- Well this is Chapter 1. I hoped you liked it! This story will be divided into three parts. I'm not sure how many chapters will be in a part however. Whatever feels right I guess. I hope no one was out of character, this is my first Ice Age fic so the first few chapters might be a bit below par in that department. I might go back and watch the latest film again just to be safe.**_

_**Well until the next update, Happy holidays!**_


	2. A Date with Destiny

Chapter 2

A Date with Destiny

Two humming birds were flying as fast as lightning along the treetops. The sun was coming up over the horizon, the rays of early morning light providing a decent amount of lighting for the two birds, who were trying to keep an eye out for their pursuers.

"You seem em sis?" One bird asked. He had white feathers and beak, black eyes, and a black belly. While the female bird had black feathers and beak, blue eyes, and a white belly

"No, nothing." She replied.

"Why are we out here again?" He asked.

"To warn the innocents, the locals need to be prepared to defend themselves." She replied.

"Seems kinda pointless to me, we should just tell them to get the heck out of here." He grumbled.

"They could run, but sooner or later they'll have nowhere to go." She chided.

"Good point." He said with a nod.

A harsh screech pierced the relative morning calm, from below a black bat with beady red eyes slammed into the male hummingbird, knocking him away from his sister and into the trees below.

"Solaris!" She wailed.

The bat then turned to her and attacked. In response she dove into the trees in a desperate attempt to lose her pursuer. The bat stay closed behind, even as she flew in between trees and branches that were covered in leaves. The winged rodent simply smashed through most obstacles that stood in its way. The hummingbird went evasive once again, flying through a hollow log that was on the forest floor. The bat simply flew over the log and got back on her tail as soon as she exited the hunk of wood.

She tried turning sharply, slaloming in between trees and animals that were carrying out their morning routine. She flew right between the legs of a Saber, but once again the bat bypassed the obstacle and stayed on her tail.

"_I'm running out of tricks._" She thought.

The bat was closing in; she was now reduced to severing left to right in order to keep the flying rodent from devouring her with its jaws. She could hear the creature snapping it's jaws at her and it's warm breath was nipping at her tail feathers.

"YAHHHHHH!" Solaris snarled, slamming into the bat and sending them both into a tree trunk.

The female bird began to hover over the scuffle, watching with fear in her eyes. She felt like she should swoop in and help her brother. Fear, however, was a powerful deterrent. She simply watched as her brother and the bat fought.

He drove his beak into the creature's eye, in response it hissed and smacked him into the ground with its wing.

"Fly Raven, Fly!" He pleaded.

"W-what about you?" She asked.

"Go NOW!" He snarled as the bat closed in on him.

She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. As she flew away, she remembered her brother's motto.

_Never let fear control you_

Meanwhile, he tried to get airborne and lure the bat in the opposite direction his sister was going. As he took off, the creature pounced on him and pinned him to the ground with its wings firmly pressed on each of his small wings.

The bat hissed with glee and bore its fangs. It examined the bird's body, trying to decide what to bite first.

"Go on you overgrown rat, do it. Kill me!" He shouted.

The bat snorted and hissed, holding its fangs within inches of the bird's face. He was unmoved by the action and simply spat in the bat's wounded eye.

"You don't scare me!" He barked.

The bat drove its fangs into his neck, silencing him.

...

Louis was excited for the day ahead; today it would be just him and Peaches. No Ethan, no Brat Pack, no Crash and Eddie, just the two of them. He had been looking forward to this day all week. Maybe, just maybe he would be able to confess his feelings for her at long last. The day was filled with so many possibilities; it was hard to think of them all. Instead he just walked through the forest, making his way to the small clearing where they had agreed they would meet. He didn't see his friend, although he had arrived a little early.

So he waited...

...and waited.

Soon it was half an hour past the agreed meeting time. Surely she hadn't forgotten, perhaps she was running a little late or had stopped to talk to Katie on the way over. Girls did have a habit of turning small conversations into big ones.

He decided to wait a little longer.

Plopping himself down on a rock, he watched the clouds. Comparing them to things he had seen and animals he had met. He quickly sat up when he heard voices, he hoped one of them belong to Peaches. Much to his disappointment, it was only Katie and Steffie. Although, they might know where Peaches was.

He casually made his way over to them.

"Hey girls." He said waving.

"Oh hey Louis." Steffie said flatly.

"Have either of you seen Peaches around, we were supposed to hang out today." He asked.

"Uh...come to think of it we haven't." Katie began.

"She might be by your place looking for you." Steffie added.

"No way, we agreed that we were going to meet here." He replied.

"Well...what about the fruit trees. She might be getting breakfast with her parents." Katie suggested.

"Yeah maybe, it is kind of late to be having breakfast though." He grumbled.

"Well maybe she and her family slept in, everybody does that once and awhile." Steffie told him.

"Well I guess a little walking never did anybody any harm. I'll go check out the fruit trees. If Peaches gets here while I'm gone, could you two just tell her to wait here until I come back?" He asked.

"Sure thing!" They replied in unison.

"Great, thanks girls!" He exclaimed as he set off for the fruit trees.

...

While on his way to the fruit trees, Louis ran into his dad. Who was on his morning walk.

"Hey son." He said, ruffling his son's hair.

"Morning Dad." Louis replied.

"What's up?" His father asked.

"I'm heading to the fruit trees to look for Peaches. We were supposed to meet at the clearing but she wasn't there. It's been over an hour since we were supposed to meet up." He explained.

"That's strange." His father grumbled, scratching his chin.

"I know right. I mean Peaches can have the memory of a goldfish sometimes, but I don't think she would forget about something like this so easily." He exclaimed.

"No it's not that. It's just that, if I recall properly, there are a small pocket of fruit trees by where they live. Why would they come all the way out here if they have those trees to eat off of instead." His father explained.

Louis scowled.

"I should of known better then to trust those two."

"You'd better get back there, find out what's really going on."

"I will, see yah later Dad!" Our hero said, setting off for the clearing.

"Louis!"

"Yeah?" He asked.

"If things don't work out between you and Peaches, you should come back to the burrow. Maybe we could go out and do something else...as a family."

Louis shook his head.

"Don't worry Dad, I'm sure that she just forgot or something. We can hang out tomorrow though, ok?"

"Alright, love you boy."

"Love you too Dad!"

The two then parted ways.

...

Louis arrived back at the clearing to find his two mammoth 'friends' in the exact same spot.

"Hey ladies." He said, trying to hide his anger.

"Oh hey Louis, no luck at the fruit trees?" Katie asked.

"Well you know, I was on my way over when I realized something. Peaches and her family live by an isolated patch of fruit trees. So they wouldn't really have a reason to head to the patch that I was heading for." He told them, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh yeah, that's right huh Steffie!" Katie exclaimed, nudging her partner with her trunk.

"_**Totally**_ forgot about that." Steffie agreed with a nod.

"So I figured I'd just head over to her place and ask her parents where she's at." Louis told them, attempting to pass in between them. The Mammoths quickly closed the gap between themselves.

" Maybe you should check by the watering hole!" Katie suggested.

"I would love to, however you two are in my way." He replied.

The two must have had enough of our molehog hero because they were now trying desperately to get rid of him.

"She's sick!"

"She seemed just fine last night."

"She's probably still asleep."

"Ellie would never let her sleep in."

It took another ten minutes for Louis to conclude that he was _not _getting past thesis two. So he'd just have to outsmart them, wouldn't be hard to do that.

He walked backwards before turning to his left and squinting, staring into the tree line.

"Oh there she is." He said with a grin.

The two mammoth's eyes grew to the size of boulders as they turned to look at the tree line.

Louis dug straight into the dirt and bypassed the both of them, speeding towards Peaches home.

Katie and Steffie were in hot pursuit, the THUMP THUMP noise of them running above made our hero made him chuckle. He was way faster than them when he was digging. It didn't take long for him to arrive at his destination, once he got there he shot up out of the earth and landed with a slight thump.

"Forget something?" He asked upon seeing Peaches standing in front of her parents...her trunk intertwined with...Ethan's. Meghan stared at him with pity and anger. The others stood quietly, awaiting his reaction.

Behind him, Katie and Steffie arrived, slowing to a stop.

"We were honestly trying to help you." Katie whimpered under her breath.

Poor Louis felt something snap inside his head.

A thousand emotions ran through his mind.

Anger, frustration, jealousy, bewilderment, and despair were just a few.

Peaches let go of Ethan's trunk and made her way over to her friend.

"Louis, listen...I."

"Listen to what, more excuses? More lies? You know what, no thanks. I've hit my daily quota." He snarled, burrowing back into the earth and fleeing the area.

Ellie and Manny exchanged nervous looks as their daughter ran off after her friend.

"You two were supposed to keep him out of here." Ethan grumbled, looking at Katie and Steffie.

"We know." Steffie replied, feeling a pang of guilt in her chest.

...

Louis didn't get far away from Peaches home. He stopped burrowing as he reached the roots of a tree. He stopped digging and curled up into a ball amongst the tree roots, which surrounded him like a cage.

He started to sob, he didn't care anymore. He didn't care if anyone heard or cared. He had spent too much time holding it all in. He could hear Peaches calling his name, asking him to tell her what was wrong. Wasn't it obvious? Everyone knew already, well everyone but her apparently. He didn't reply, instead he sang softly, sniffling every third word or so.

_Beauty queen of only eighteen_

_She had some trouble with herself_

_He was always there to help her_

_She always belonged to someone else_

_I drove for miles and miles_

_And wound up at your door_

_I've had you so many times but somehow_

_I want more_

_I don't mind spending everyday_

_Out on your corner in the pouring rain_

_Look for the girl with the broken smile_

_Ask her if she wants to stay awhile_

_And she will be loved_

_She will be loved._

He looked up to see her digging a hole in the ground.

"Louis, I'm sorry." She began.

"I don't want to hear it." He grumbled, crawling out of the ground and making his way home.

"Louis, I don't understand what's wrong with you." She told him.

"So you think there's something _wrong _ with me?" He asked.

"No, no I didn't mean it like that. I just don't understand why your upset!" She shouted.

"Are you that oblivious?" He snarled, stopping and turning to face her.

"Is it about today?" She asked.

"Well yeah, I guess you could say that. I mean if you're planning to flat out ditch me and abandon the plan that we had set up last night, then at least give me a little more notice before I go wandering around the forest looking for you!" He hissed.

"I think you're overreacting." She grumbled.

"Oh really, cuz guess what missy, there's more!" He told her.

"Like what?!" She asked.

"_**What **_do you see in that guy?" He asked.

"Ethan?"

"Nah, Sid!" He snapped.

"I still don't understand why you're acting like this! What does Ethan have to do with any of this?" She groaned.

"Ethan has everything to do with this! Who was there when you were crying your eyes out after Danny dumped you? Not Ethan! Who was there when no one else wanted to be your friend? Not Ethan! Who was there when a homicidal ape tried to kill you guys? Not Ethan! What makes him so much better than anyone else? What do I have to do to make myself as good as him?!" He shouted.

"Louis, you're not making any sense." She whimpered.

"I love you Peaches! Is that not good enough?" He asked.

Her eyes widened.

"Louis...you're a molehog and I'm a mammoth. It...We...would never work. We're worlds apart." She reminded him.

"That doesn't matter to me, since when have either of us cared what the norm is Peaches?" He asked.

"Louis...this is an entirely different kind of...norm." She grumbled, unable to find the right words.

"I know, but I thought that...maybe...just maybe...today I would be able to convince you that we _could _work." He whimpered.

"I'm sorry Louis, but I just can't imagine you as anything more than a friend. I don't think we have a future as...partners." She told him.

He sighed shakily.

"I understand."

"I...I think it's in our best interest to stay away from each other." She began.

"What? Why?" He asked.

"I know you Louis, you're a sweet guy and I know how sensitive you are. Seeing me with Ethan is going to tear you apart on the inside. I don't wanna hurt you anymore." She whimpered, turning away,

"I'll adapt, I'll get used to it. Please Peaches, you're one of the only friends I have. I need you in my life." He begged.

"No, I can't ask you to do that. You need to go and find a girl that will love you for you. She's out there, and she's going to be very lucky to have you." She assured him.

"So what you said about me always being your best friend, was that a lie too?"

"On what other occasions have I lied to you?" She asked, whipping around. Tears were in her eyes.

"You and Ethan had Katie and Steffie try and keep me away from you. Now, to be honest the worst part about this isn't knowing that you'll be with Ethan or that you broke my heart. The worst part is that you let him keep this from me and I bet you were ok with it." He told her.

Her eyes were wide with shock, deep down she knew he was right.

"I think you'll be perfect addition to his pack." He added, turning around and walking away.

She couldn't take this anymore, she spun around and began to cry.

"Goodbye Louis." She murmured before leaving as well.

...

Louis was making his way back home, with tears still in his eyes, when a large gale force wind knocked him onto his butt. When he got back onto his feet he was thrown of balance by a massive rumbling.

Was this another continental shift?

Screams began to fill the air as the roars and shrieks of animals Louis has never heard before echoed throughout the entire forest. Then he heard Sid cry out:

"MANNY!"

If Manny was in trouble, Peaches was most likely in danger as well. Despite the argument they had earlier, Louis still greatly cared for her. He doubted that he would ever truly be able to let her go. He burrowed his way into the ground and reversed course back to her home.

...

Peaches shuttered as she watched her family be wrapped up in spider silk. These were no ordinary spiders. They were giant spiders the size of her dad. They had eight legs like all spiders do, but their torsos were wide and diamond shaped. They had a dozen beady eyes and a pair of serrated mandibles that looked like they could cut through bone.

It didn't take long for the orange and black insects to start taking her family away. Although they didn't manage to capture Crash, Sid, or Diego and Shira. Crash and Sid had managed to get away from the paralyzing spit blast that the insects had attempted to hit them with. While Diego and Shira had been spared because they were out hunting.

The rest of the heard had not been so lucky. Her Dad had tried to fight off the insects but had been severely injured. It was quite possible that his leg was broken. Ellie tried to come to her mate's aid but was snatched up by the spiders before she could do so. The Brat Pack tried to flee with Sid and Crash but were not fast enough. Ethan tried to fight as well, but it didn't take long for the spiders to subdue him.

Peaches began to whimper as she too was wrapped up in silk. She didn't know why this was happening, all she knew was that this was shaping up to be the worst day _ever_.

It was about to get a whole lot worse.

...

Louis arrived on the scene to see his friends being wrapped up in spider silk and loaded onto the back of a giant dung beetle that was probably two times the size of Peaches dad. The Spiders all hissed when they saw him, they then proceeded to clack their mandibles together excitedly.

Louis looked around and saw that more and more spiders were coming into the area. Each one had at least three or four silk pouches in their mandibles. Some of them were already starting to flee over the nearby hill.

"Hey, stop!" He shouted as they started to take Manny away. He started to run after the spider but another one stepped in his path and screeched. He began to shake and back up.

"Those are my friends, where are you taking them?" He protested in a small voice.

The spider made a noise that resembled laughter before it responded.

"That is none of your concern." It hissed.

The spider then chuckled again as Louis made a GULP noise as he swallowed.

"You are no threat to us." He snarled turning to leave.

"Well maybe I should find someone who is." Our hero snapped.

The Spider turned back around and narrowed its eyes.

"I am giving you an opportunity to walk away, do not waste it."

"I-I'm not going anywhere." Louis replied, picking up a sharp looking rock.

"So be it, but know that you have dug your own grave. Kīlauea!"

Down from the skies came a large reptilian looking creature within bat like wings, a snake like neck, and two legs with sharp serrated talons. Several rhinoceros could stand along the length of its wingspan and from nose to tail it was as long as 5 mammoths. The beast landed with a thud. It had no scales, instead red crystals made up its skin. The crystals on its back and tail stuck up like quills on a porcupine. The creature's white pupil-less eyes showed little to no emotion. The beast roared at Louis, revealing its three rows of dagger like teeth. With jaws that large, it could swallow a fully grown shark whole.

"I believe this boy is going to reveal our presence to the three mystics. This must not be allowed. Kill him, and then burn the entire forest to the ground." The Spider instructed.

"Louis run!" Peaches wailed.

The question was where to run? To his left was the river, to his right was the way he came. Behind him there was nothing but trees and in front of him was a flying death machine and past that, his friends, who were wrapped up to their necks in spider silk.

"Don't worry about us Louis, just get out of here. Warn your family!" Manny instructed.

"You guys are a part of my family too!" Louis shouted, raising his 'weapon'.

The demonic creature lunged for forward, snapping his jaws at our hero, who dove into the ground and popped back up to the creature's right.

"Over here you overgrown lizard!" He taunted.

The beast swiped at him with his tail, but a well timed backwards roll got him out of the way. Instead of hitting our favorite molehog, the creature cut down a tree which landed on one of the spiders, killing it.

The monster then turned to face Louis, who was struggling to pull a piece of bark of the fallen tree so that it could be used as a shield of sorts. However, his opponent was closing in.

"Louis get out of there!" Eddie wailed.

The beast began sucking in air, Louis' ears popped and he cringed as the smell of rotten eggs filled the air. With one final tug he tore the chunk of bark off the tree and raised it as his foe unleashed a hell storm of fire from his maw. The flames quickly reduced his new shield to charcoal. He himself was on fire. He tried desperately to pat out the flames but it was no use. He let out a scream of pain as the fire began to make his skin melt. Peaches was screaming as he fell backwards into the river, still on fire and floated off downstream.

If the burns didn't kill him, the rapids surely will.

Peaches was reduced to sobbing as Kīlauea took to the skies and proceeded to set fire to the entire forest. Then she and her entire family were carried off into the unknown by the insects.

...

Louis drifted in and out of consciousness as he was carried downstream. During this time he was thrown into rocks and submerged objects, worsening his injuries. The river carried him through a series of caves and down small waterfalls.

He eventually ended up miles below the surface, where his journey ended. The river spat him out in a small pond. Where a local was fishing. He noticed the severely injured molehog and swam out into the pond to rescue him. This was when Louis became a little more aware of his surroundings.

"W-where am I?" He asked weakly.

"Sadly it doesn't have a name, but don't worry lad. You're safe with me." His rescuer assured him.

"Who's me?" Our hero asked as he was carried ashore.

"Buckminster, but you can just call me Buck." He replied.

"Thank you for helping me, I'm Louis."

"Well Louis, it looks like you lost a fight with a volcano."

"I'll tell you all about it later." He assured his new friend.

"Haha I'm looking forward to it. Now, let's get you patched up."

...

When Louis woke up, he was covered in leaf bandages. Half of his face was wrapped up, along with his entire left arm, torso, upper right leg and finally his lower left leg.

He tried to sit up, but a hand pushed him back down onto his back.

"Now now, let's not be too hasty. You're not in any condition to be up and about." Buck told him.

Louis groaned and rolled onto his side.

"Oh boy, looks like those herbs are wearing off. Here chew this, it'll help with the pain." Buck instructed, holding out a wad of leafy greens.

Louis reached out with a shaky hand and took the herbs. He then placed the bitter tasting plants into his mouth and did his best to eat them without gagging.

"Sorry about the taste, I wasn't able to find sugar cane before nightfall." Buck grumbled.

"It's alright...how long have I been out?" Our hero asked.

"About seven days give or take." His rescuer replied.

"I'm gonna be honest, you should be dead."

"Was I that bad?"

"Aye, you're left arm is broken in about three places, you have a few shattered ribs and as far as I can tell, most of your body has suffered severe burns. It's going to be awhile before you can take those bandages off." Buck explained.

"My gosh." Louis murmured, flopping onto his back.

"What were you doing before you came driftin' down that river?"

Louis went on to tell his new friend about what happened. Buck stopped him when he brought up who was taken.

"Peaches? Is her father named Manny?" He asked.

Louis nodded somberly.

Buck buried his hands in his face.

"That's not good." He grumbled.

"Buck, I need to go after them."

The weasel looked at him like he was insane.

"So you can do what, get yourself killed?"

"If that's what it takes to save them." He replied.

"You're out of your mind kid...I like that." Buck said with a sly grin.

"I will join you on your little suicidal expedition, after all you'll need a more seasoned adventurer to watch your back."

"Are you sure?" The molehog asked.

"Definitely, but first I'll have to train you. You'll need to learn how to suck scorpion venom out of your blood stream, how to get out of quick sand and most importantly how to fight." Buck explained.

"Sounds...great. When do we start?" Louis asked.

"As soon as you can stand." His ally replied.

...

_**A.N- Now it begins, Buck and Louis will soon be setting off on their own little adventure. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Until next time, keep your claws sharp and be ready to dig! You never know when danger will show itself.**_

_**Everyone have a Happy New Year!**_

_**Wolf out!**_


	3. Trial by Fire

Chapter 3

Trial by Fire

It had been few weeks since Louis had arrived down in the Dino Jungle. Since then, Buck had been training him on how to survive in a world were everything wanted to kill you. Today's lesson, when to fight and when to flee.

"Come on boy!" Buck shouted as he ran through the jungle.

"Why do we have to use real angry dinosaurs for running from predators training?" Louis wailed.

"I wanted to make sure you stay motivated!" His mentor replied.

"RARRAGHH! " Rudy snarled.

"Well you succeeded!" The Molehog yelped, pushing himself to run just a little bit faster.

SNAP

Rudy must not have been very far behind if he was snapping his jaws at him. Buck turned around and grinned.

"He's close enough to lick you!"

"AHHHHH!" Louis screamed, running even faster, stumbling through the foliage.

He then tripped over a tree root and fell into a clearing. In that clearing was Buck's home. A simple hollowed out log with two hay beds inside. Nearby was the small pond where Buck had found him.

The weasel was sitting atop the log, picking his teeth with his knife.

"Right, take a drink." He told our hero, pointing to the pond.

Louis crawled on his hands and knees to the pond and began gulping down water.

"Not too much, you'll make yourself sick!" Buck reminded him.

The molehog stopped drinking and got up only to find Buck charging him with his knife.

"Ready your weapon!" The weasel told his pupil.

Louis quickly pulled his short bone sword out of its sheath, which was strapped to his back. The sword has a similar to Buck's knife, except for the fact that the sides had been cut off, leaving a straight thin blade as opposed to the fat curved blade that Buck had on his weapon.

Louis raised a defense and deflected the first strike, but his mentor kept up the attack. The Molehog jumped up in order to avoid a leg sweep that would of put him on the floor, while airborne he slashed at his teacher, only for him to dodge the attack and punch him in the gut and send him stumbling backwards upon landing.

"Come on, is that the best you've got?" Buck asked.

The Molehog steadied himself and surged forward, locking blades with his mentor. It quickly became a test of strength, one that Louis would not pass. Buck overpowered him within seconds, a solid right hook sent Louis stumbling away once more.

"Well I'd say Peaches and her family are as good as dead if that is all you can do." The Weasel hissed.

Louis attacked once agin, except this time he didn't think about what he was going to do. He just decided to fight, he faked a sword strike to throw his mentor off balance, he followed up the ruse with a kick to the ribs. He then attacked with his sword, knocking down his mentors guard and shoving him to the ground with the flat of his blade.

Buck went for his knife, which had been knocked away, but Louis put a foot on his chest and raised leveled his blade at his mentor's throat.

"I yield." Buck said with a grin.

Louis lowered his sword and helped his teacher to his feet. The Weasel put his hands on our heroes shoulders.

"Well done."

The Molehog couldn't help but smile as he felt a sense of accomplishment overcome him.

"Do you think I'm ready?" He asked.

"No one can ever truly be ready to undertake a journey like this, but I think your as ready as you'll ever be." His mentor replied.

"When do we leave?" Our hero asked.

"Tomorrow morning, if you pass your final exam." Buck replied.

"Final exam?"

"Aye, a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step and no one should take that step on an empty stomach. The sun is going down, if you want to leave you are to journey across the jungle and find the cavern that leads to the surface. Don't go into that cavern, instead you must hang a left and scale the cliffs. There you will find the nests of the Pterodactyls. Take two of their eggs and return them to the cave entrance by morning. I will be there waiting for you. If you succeed, we will eat breakfast and leave. If you fail, we will go back to training...unless you die." The Weasel told his pupil.

Louis nodded, realizing that his journey could end before it truly began.

He then set off for the nest, suppressing the feelings of doubt and fear as he began his trek into the brush.

...

As he continued walking through the dense brush, Louis' mind began to wander. He wondered what mistakes he had made that caused him and Peaches to slowly drift apart in the months after a time when they had grown closer. Ever since they had arrived at their new home, Peaches had begun to distance herself from him.

Once he had been one of her only confidants, until recently when she rarely spoke to him about such matters. Preferring to talk to members of the Brat Pack instead. Which was fine, after he couldn't be her only friend. He was happy that the others had begun to accept her as one of their own, yet the feeling that she didn't need him anymore had only continued to grow. They still talked and hung out on a regular basis, but sometimes she just seemed distant. He would ask her if anything was wrong and usually the source of her troubles lie with Ethan. Something he had said or done or hadn't done. Now, Louis loved talking to Peaches but this had been getting a little ridiculous. Yet, he would answer her questions anyway, to the best of his ability. After all, he was no love guru.

So much had changed recently, Ethan was likely to replace him as Peaches' closest guy friend. If he hadn't already. The two of them were continuing to drift apart, even though they had both sworn to be friends for life. That had been years ago, they had been nothing but naive back then. Had such a promise ever been successfully kept? He doubted it. Change happens all the time though, it part of life. Who's to say things wont change again?

...

Peaches tried to examine her surroundings, but it was pitch black. Somewhere in the darkness, she could hear the sinister changing of her captors. It was a language none of them recognized. Crammed in the cell with her was her parents and Ethan. Across from them was the brat pack. The mammoth had been mourning the death of her friend for weeks now. Every now and then she would begin to sob. Why did he do that? Running out there and challenging a fire breathing beast, he should of ran! That wasn't Louis though, he was the last to run not the first. She yelped as a demonic groan caused the ground beneath her to shake. Whatever was below them, it was close to waking up.

...

Louis grunted as he reached the top of the rock face he had been scaling for the past twenty minutes. He drew his sword and began scanning for potential threats. Just a few feet in front of him was a nest made out of twigs. In that nest were four blue eggs. He crept forward hoping that he would be able to take the eggs with little incident. However, loud sharp breathing directed his gaze upwards.

A Pterodactyl was staring down at him with white glazed eyes. No pupils were visible. It's body was covered with a rough golden armor that looked like amber or hardened tree sap. The claws on its feet were black, curved and resembled the talons of a hawk. The creature opened its mouth and roared, revealing a second inner jaw which had the teeth of an angler fish. Louis realized this was not Pterodactyl, but something else entirely. The creature spread its wings and flew down landing just a few feet in front of our hero. It hissed again and snapped at him with its two jaws. He yelped and side stepped the attack, slicing at the creature's beak. In response the beast swatted him to the side with its beak. Our hero was sent rolling backwards with a grunt and came to rest on his back.

The creature tried to claw at him with its talons but he rolled out of the way just in time and stabbed the beast in the leg. It howled and snarled, taking to the air circling him like a vulture circling a dead animal. Then with a snarl it dived straight at him, talons poised to seize him. Louis rolled forward as the creature missed him by inches. The molehog came out of his roll in a crouch and turned to see the creature circling back around. He looked around for a weapon that would help keep the beast grounded. In the nest he found the femur of a dead animal, one end of the bone had a sharp point. Making it the perfect spear.

He prepared to throw as the beast dove at him again. Once it got close enough, he took aim and threw the spear with all his might. The weapons sailed into one of the monster's wings, tearing open the fragile membrane. The beast screeched out in agony as it fell out of the sky and plowed into the ground. It quickly recovered quickly though and lashed out at him with its jaws. The brave molehog quickly back peddled as the creature closed in on him, pushing him up against a wall. Acting quickly, he burrowed into the ground and went under the creature hoping to launch and attack from behind. He sprung out of the ground, sword ready to pierce the monster's unarmored back. However, his foe was quite smart and quickly whipped around swatted him out of the air with his good wing. The hit sent our hero flying into the dirt and dropped his weapon, leaving him dazed and vulnerable.

The creature advanced on him, hissing and snarling. It opened its jaws and prepared to crush our heroes head. Louis was trembling with fear, but scowled and suppressed the feeling. He grabbed hold of his sword and yelled out in anger as he sliced into the creature's beak. The sword became stuck as the beast flailed about in a fit of rage. Louis quickly dislodged the blade and struck again in the same spot. Purple blood now covered his sword, fur, and the ground. He then rolled under the beast as it snapped him with its jaws. He drove his sword up into the monster's armored chest and used his sword to get some leverage. With a loud CRACK SNAP a chunk of the mysterious material fell off, giving Louis a makeshift shield. He rolled out from under his foe as it jumped up and slammed itself back down it furry, hoping to crush him with it's talons. It then turned and snapped at him with its jaws, but our hero deflected the attack with his shield. This left the creature stunned and susceptible to a final attack. Louis once again burrowed into the ground but this time he knew a sneak attack wouldn't work. He would have to think outside of the box.

He quickly began digging in somewhat randomized patterns, never going past a designated depth and leaving the top soil intact. When he was finished he emerged from the ground just a few feet in front of his foe. The creature began to advance on him and the molehog's heart began to pound. If this didn't work, he was done. He was too tired to keep fighting. The creature prepare to strike with its jaws when it began to stumble around. The ground underneath it began to tremble and then with an outraged roar the beast was sucked into the earth as the ground beneath its feet fell out from under it. The trap had worked. The monster was now helpless to escape the sinkhole it was caught in. More dirt filled poured in from the sides, burying the monster alive.

The battle was over.

Louis fell over, landing on his rear. He was breathing heavily and his fur smelled of sweat and covered in purple bloodstains. His sword felt abnormally heavy in his hand, so he dropped it.

"I...did it...I killed it." He murmured before feeling the urge to puke.

He had killed something...sure it was a monster of sorts, but he had still taken a life. For what, to prove to Buck that he was ready for this journey where he would most likely kill more things?

He got to his feet, suppressing the feeling of disgust he now had and gathered his things. Including his shield, spear and of course the eggs. After this he set off for the cave, with plenty of time to spare.

A.N- Sorry I have updated in forever you guys! School work has kept me busy! Well I hope you all enjoyed today's update. I will try to update in a week or two but I can't promise anything! Pack your bags boys and girls, next chapter our heroes will be going out into the world on their quest to save the herd!

Until next time,

Wolf out!


End file.
